The Bonded

Creating A Bonded

As you create a Bonded, keep in mind a few things of note. First, consider how your character initially came into contact with the bound creature in question, was it by chance? Did they seek them out? Or maybe they were forced into a partnership out of despairation? This will help both you and the DM understand your character's relationship a bit more. Second, how do they use this newfound power? Good or Evil or the Grey Area between? Does the bound creature approve of this? Is there conflict? Finally, how do others percieve them? Does this effect your character in some way?

Quick Build

You can make a Bonded quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest stat to increase both your attack damage and Unarmored Defense. Next make Charisma your next highest stat to further increase your defenses. Then choose either the Folk Hero, Urchin, or Criminal background.

Class Features

As a Bonded, you gain the following class features

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d10 per Bonded level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constituion modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constituion modifier per Bonded level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: None
• Weapons: Simple weapons, Shortswords
• Tools: Alchemist's Supplies

• Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
• Skills: Choose two from History, Deception, Insight, Religion, Sleight of Hand, Perception

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) A shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) A dungeoneer’s pack or (b) a explorer’s pack
• A simple ranged weapon, 20 Ammunition for the ranged weapon, and a set of Alchemist’s Tools

  3

  Created by Jacob Carlson | The Bonded

Symbiotic Relationship

Beginning at 1st level, you have joined forces with a sentient creature or object of a different plane, forming a mutually beneficial relationship. This creature, or Bound Ally, tends to reside in the bloodstream; however, it may also choose to hide itself in some sort of container or in plain sight. The creature seeks self-preservation of itself and the host and confers an Unarmored AC Bonus of your Dexterity modifier plus your Charisma modifier as long as you are not wearing armor. These relationships tend to be very frank in their purposes, maybe for order, power, hunger, or some other kind of motive. However, that is not to say that there are not secrets on both sides, these are sentient creatures after all. Your relationship takes the form of one of the following archetypes of bond.

Symbiotic Manifestation

Starting at 1st level, your symbiosis provides a number of benefits; the most notable of these being the physical manifestation of the creature in question. As a bonus action, you may manifest your Bound Ally in the form of a suit or other bodily transformation. This form lasts for ten minutes and confers an AC bonus of +1. This form mildly reconstructs any injures or wounds while active, allowing the host to heal 2 hit points each turn. While transformed, you may make one extra attack per turn. In addition to this form, you may manifest a melee weapon (of your choice, regardless of damage. A 1d4 Greataxe is possible) from your Bound Ally. You are proficient in this weapon. This weapon benefits from the same properties as the real weapon, such as a spear’s reach, a net’s trapping abilities, and so forth. This weapon counts as only an unarmed strike for the purpose of feats and a magical weapon for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunities. This weapon may be dismissed shoud the host use a bonus action to dismiss it. This weapon’s damage follows the Manifestation Damage Table on Page 1. Weapons manifested by this form may use a variations of weapons for flavor, such as sharpened claws or teeth instead of a dagger. You may also use either your dexterity mod or your strength mod for attack checks with these weapons, but you must use the correct modifier for the damage rolls. This form lasts for ten minutes. You may use this transformation feature twice. You regain uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Alien Intellect

Starting at 3rd level, your Bound Ally's mind has adapted to your strange world and is able to see past what your own meager mind can, allowing you to known when danger is near. You gain blindsight within 10 ft of you. You are also able to communicate telepathically with any creature within 30 ft of you. You do not have to share the same language as this creature for it to understand you.

Symbiotic Unity

Starting at 11th level, you gain a more advanced synchronization with your symbiotic partner. You may assume your Manifestation Form as a bonus action instead of an action. You are now able to take on your Manifestation form three times per short or long rest. Your Manifestation form also now lasts for thirty minutes instead of ten.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You cannot increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Symbiotic Extention

Starting at 20th level, you are able to request for a push of extra effort from your Bound Ally. Upon activating this feature, you regain all uses of your Manifestation form and heal 2d10.

Symbiotic Archtypes

Monstrous Bond

Your Bound Ally is the definition of rage and animalistic bloodlust, such a creature rarely bonds with a host for any other reason other than its own selfish gains.

Vicious Life Drinker

Starting at 1st level, your Bound Ally lives in a merciless cycle of death and crimson rage, endlessly drinking the lifeblood of others. While in your Manifestation form, each time you reduce a creature to 0 hit points and it dies, you may heal 1d4 plus your Constitution modifier. At the end of your turn, if you have reduced any creatures to 0 hit points and they have died, make a Charisma saving throw according to the Life-Drinker DC chart. On a success, the life blood of the creature revitalizes you and you may move up to half your movement speed to a creature you can see and make one melee attack against it if possible. However, on failing that roll, your Bound Ally's bloodlust takes full control. You must move up to half your movement speed toward the nearest creature and make a melee attack against it if possible If there is more than one target, the DM chooses which is attacked. This struggle for control gradually eases as you learn to control and bargain with your Bound Ally and decreases the DC by 2 every 4 levels.

Life-Drinker DC

Bestial Evasion

Beginning at 6th level, your Bound Ally begins to see you as a hindrance to its hunt and resolves to make you a more effective vessel. You gain advantage on all Dexterity checks and saves while unarmored and your land speed increases by 5 ft. It increases by 5 ft again at level 12, and again at level 18

Extra Attack

Starting at 5th level, your symbiotic nature and combat experience allows you to attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Territorial Psyche

Beginning at 10th level, your Bound Ally’s alien nature and animalistic tendencies makes the act of peering into your mind an incredibly painful one. Whenever something attempts to read or control your mind (charm included), the creature takes 1d6 psychic damage and must succeed a Constitution saving throw or break concentration/nullify the effect of the charm.

Vindictive Defense

Beginning at 14th level, the Bound Ally has become more accepting of you as a hunting partner and is particularly cruel toward any attackers. Whenever you take melee damage from an attack, you may use your reaction to inflict necrotic damage according to your Manifestation Damage level to the target.

Infantile Bond

Your Bound Ally is a rare one indeed, the first spawn born like it in 1000 years. Young, innocent, easily influenced, and eager to learn all it can. It often bonds with hosts for the simple purpose of needing a parental figure.

Unstable Shift

Starting at 1st level, your Bound Ally’s strange and easily influenced genetic structure allow it take on various elemental natures. Upon gaining this skill, choose one of four elemental types, Fire, Frost, Acid, and Lightning. Your symbiotic manifestations, both form and weapons, take on this element and deal additional damage equal to your Charisma mod. Additionally, you gain resistance to said damage type. You lose this elemental bonus at the end of each long rest. After every long rest, roll 1d4 and select the corresponding damage type from the chart above.

Unstable Shift Chart

Specialized Shift

Starting at 6th level, your Bound Ally has experienced even more of the world, and their genes have shifted accordingly. Your unstable shift has expanded to now encompass necrotic and radiant damage. You now roll 1d6 to determine the resistance and damage type of your manifestations. You now may also add your proficiency bonus to your manifestation weapon damage rolls.

Specialized Shift Chart

Extra Attack

Starting at 5th level, your symbiotic nature and combat experience allows you to attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Masterful Shift

Starting at 10th level, your Bound Ally has mastered its unstable genetics and can now steer its genes toward its desired nature. You no longer need to roll to gain the bonus, but rather have the ability to select your elemental nature from the Specialized Shift chart.

Adaptive Shift

Starting at 14th level, your Bound Ally can now actively anticipate and resist against threats. Whenever you take damage, you may use your reaction to gain resistance against that damage type until the end of a long rest. You may not use this ability again until you have finished a long rest.

Champion Bond

Your Bound Ally is a champion of justice and peace among its kind. Sent from its source to create a champion that could fight proudly against evil and tyranny. The purposes of these Bound Allies often are for the sole purpose of snuffing out evil wherever it may find it.

Mental Duality

Starting at 1st level, your Bound Ally’s connection to a mental network, a hive mind of sorts, allows for it to assist you in locating information regarding various subjects and protecting against mental assault. You may add twice your proficiency bonus to all Intelligence (History), Intelligence (Arcana), and Intelligence (Nature) roles. In addition to this, you gain advantage against being charmed, concious or otherwise.

Advanced Manifestation

Starting at 6th level, your Bound Ally’s extensive training and combat experience allows it to utilized more advanced forms of manifestation than others. Upon reaching this feature, select an Advanced Manifestation from the table below. You may use an action to engage this advanced manifestation while in Manifestation form and a bonus action to dismiss it. You may select this again at level 12 and level 18. You may change your selection of Advanced Manifestations after each level after 6th.

Advanced Manifestation List

Extra Attack

Starting at 5th level, your symbiotic nature and combat experience allows you to attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Rejuvenating Union

Starting at 10th level, your symbiote sees you as a valuable ally and actively makes efforts to shelter you from the elements. You gain immunity to poisons, disease, and, while in Manifestation form, have an unlimited supply of oxygen.

A More Perfect Union

Starting at 14th level, your symbiote has perfectly merged with your corporeal form, granting numerous benefits. Your symbiotic regeneration has increased in effectively due to your unity, healing 4 hit points per turn, instead of 2. This has also dramatically slowed your aging due to the rapid cell regeneration, you age five times slower than the rest of your race. You have advantage on all Constitution-based saving throws and may add your Charisma modifier to all death saving throws. You also are now able to use your Manifestation form 1 extra time per day.